All three are extremely important in the indie writing community—for authors, editors, designers, illustrators, and more. .Reviews for authors and their books, along with references and referrals for the rest of the 'villagers' who contribute to publishing their books are significantly important and can be true confidence builders.If you are a reader, please remember to leave reviews. The number of reviews plays a huge part in how Amazon and other retailers promote for authors and sellers. Be positive. Be kind. And if you find the need to leave a negative review, please be constructive, not angry and hateful.

On my website, I have references from a few of my clients. When I started my freelance editing business, I offered a few edits for free to get started. With those edits, I asked for testimonials or references. Good or bad, I needed to know if this was my cuppa and potential clients needed to know if I would be a good candidate as an editor for them.

To me, these are like an author receiving a book review. .This week, I've asked for a few new references to include on my website. One of the new ones I received was from an author I consider a very dear friend. It touched me. So much, I thought I would share the words and to also promote this friend and his work. Kindness in words and support is extremely important in all walks of life... especially in the writing community. Build people up. Support your fellow authors. Don't bully. And don't tear people down while hiding behind your keyboard.

﻿From Author Baer Charlton:

"When my second book, but the first book of importance, was stalled with a publisher who was tearing it apart… I felt the world had gone mad, and my baby was going to be spread out for the vultures to tear at the breast, and it’s voice would be buried in the rough sands at the edge of the sea—where the tides ebb and flow.

The universe has rivers, and in those rivers, there are eddies. Most might just paddle on through those eddies; others may paddle past looking for the exciting rapids… But if you are calm, and listen when you are becalmed in one of those eddies—you may just find more than you were looking for—more than you bargained for… you may find that special person, that special someone.

I threw myself into the waters and floated away from the publisher and their so-called grammar police. I floated… watching the calm air of the night sky… and finally, I came to rest against a shore.

Almost a year later, the book — Stoneheart — would be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

On the shore, there was a voice of reason. It was a voice who spoke of telling a story, not about gerunds and gerundives. It spoke of the power of words strung together, not only to convey a concept, but also to tell a story, to draw forth from the reader their untold, unrealized story.

The voice spoke of stories, not of whether a comma goes here or here or there. It was always about the golden relationship existing between a writer and a reader.

What she forgot to mention though, was the equally special bond and relationship that only comes from two friends finding a common ground to pursue a loftier goal. Such is my friend, editor and cheerful nudge—Rogena."﻿

Baer Charlton is the author of the Pulitzer Prize Nominated book, STONEHEART: A Path of Identity and Redemption. Other works by Baer include the Southside Hooker Series, The Very Littlest Dragon, and I Drink Coffee and Make Shit Up. Coming in 2015, more from Hooker and a standalone, Angel Flights. Connect with Baer on Facebook and on Amazon. (Links below)

(SPECIAL NOTE: STONEHEART was re-edited by RMJ-MS. All but one of his current works were edited by RMJ-MS, as well. A re-edit of The Very Littlest Dragon is coming in 2015, too.).Links to stalk... uh, I mean, follow Baer Charlton Author — AMAZON or FACEBOOK..For more references for RMJ-MS, visit the Testimonials page.

IF you would like to submit a reference to appear on my website, please email yours to me.